Lex's Revenge
by Alexis Night
Summary: Sequal to That God Damn Necklace. Whitney didn't heed Lex's warning. Lex is going to get revenge.


Disclaimer: If you can't figure it out, I am seriously concerned for your health.

This story is dedicated to Dreamcreator, who totally inspired this sequel.

Clark let his back be slammed into the lockers. He knew the nub of the combination lock that was poking into his back would really hurt if he wasn't invulnerable. It was times like this he really wished he didn't have to hide his powers. He wouldn't have to deal with jerks like Whitney pushing him around. The farm boy faked a pained grimace.

Whitney put a pleasant smile on as he shoved Clark. "Hey there, Kent! How's it goin'? Enjoy living next to my girlfriend, farm boy?" Clark opted to remain silent. Despite this not being a legal case, he quickly learned that everything he said could and would be held against him. Whitney knocked Clark's books down. "Pick 'em up, clutz. Someone could get hurt." As laughter erupted from the class, the quarterback saw fit to leave.

Clark blushed crimson as he scooped up his books and hurried to class, pretending his back ached. He hated this. It was so humiliating. He thought about telling someone, his parents, a teacher, Lex, but he couldn't fake injury from what Whitney threatened to do if he did, and he couldn't risk compromising his secret. Ironic, how his powers made him feel so helpless at times.

A sick feeling had started to crawl its way into his stomach at the thought of coming to school every day. But Clark faced off meteor mutants on a daily basis. He would be damned if a freaking high school quarterback scared him enough to make him stay home. A grin that was fake a few seconds ago quickly became real. Friday. A whole two days he didn't have to deal with Whitney. And he got to go to Lex's house after school.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, Clark saw Whitney. Irritation bristled down his spine. "What do you want?"

Whitney's false smile turned into a glare. "Don't take that tone with me. I wanted to let you know I was coming by the barn tonight around six. You better be there, Kent." Clark was pushed back against his locker. "Got it?"

The boy nodded, defeated. He was trapped. He felt like crap. He would have to deal with Whitney at home, too. Clark tried to look on the bright side. Maybe his dad would come out to check on him. If his dad caught Whitney, that wouldn't count, right? But he still had to cut his plans with Lex short...

Sighing and collecting his books, Clark headed to his next class, knowing there wasn't really anything he could do. If Whitney beat him up and it wasn't leaving a mark, people would know something was off with him, and nothing one of his high school classmates could do would compare to what would happen if everyone found out. His parents and Lex could only protect him so much.

Lex glanced at his watch. School just got out which meant Clark would be arriving in three, two, "Hey Clark."

"Hey Lex." There he was, windblown hair and million-watt grin. "How's it going?"

"Good. My father's out of town, so it couldn't be better really." Lex sent a joking smirk in Clark's direction. "How about you, Clark?"

The grin faltered slightly. "Alright. I have to leave early, though. Dad needs help on the farm, so I've got to be back by six.

Lex knew that face very well from before he was in on the secret. It was Clark's lying face. "Are you sure?" He didn't want to push it so early on, but he had the increasing feeling that something was wrong with his little brother.

Clark shifted nervously under his friend's intense gaze. "Ya. I'm fine, Lex." The grin was back, full force. "So, what did you want to do tonight?"

The millionaire let a small smile find its way to his face. "How about we put in Men in Black and pop some popcorn?"

Clark disappeared and reappeared almost instantaneously with said items. "I'm game!"

Chuckling, Lex led Clark to the living room esque place and put in the DVD and feigning seriousness. "You know, if half the aliens in this could do half of what you can, they would be screwed." Knowing, the creatures they come up with seem absolutely ridiculous.

Laughter twinkled in his eyes as Clark continued the mock-serious discussion. "I never told you? I turn into a giant blob monster on the full moon."

They both stared at each other twitching for a few minutes before finally bursting into laughter as alien guts spewed over the people on the screen.

Throughout the course of the movie, they shifted between actually watching, throwing popcorn at each other, and making fun of the stupid alien stereotypes. Clark shook his head in mock horror when an actual little green man made an appearance. "If you're going to be completely inaccurate, at least be original."

Lex laughed. "I don't know, Clark. They've got to fit the classics into this if they want it to be believable." They both went into hysterics at that comment. They may know aliens were in fact real, but they were also hard-pressed to ensure the rest of the world did not.

Shortly after the movie ended, Clark looked at the clock. He did I double take. "I have to go! See you later, Lex!"

Said man was puzzled. According to the clock, it was only 5:55. It took Clark about twenty seconds to get from one place to the next. Clark could've left at 5:59 and gotten home with time to spare. He didn't sound his normal enthusiastic self when he left. He almost sounded scared, and something had been bothering him earlier. Lex decided to pay a visit to the Kent farm. If nothing was up, he ended up looking a little paranoid. It was better than him not doing anything and having something happen to Clark.

Whitney showed up with a couple of guys from the football team minutes after Clark got home. "Hey, farm boy!"

Clark cringed. He wondered how Whitney managed to make that sound like an insult. "What do you want, Whitney?"

The two other guys spread out and they had Clark surrounded. Clark backed up as they closed in on him until his back hit the wall of the barn. "Well, you see, Kent, when we went to get our Scarecrow, we found out he was already gone. Now what we're here to find out, is how did that happen?"

Lex was speeding faster than he was the day he hit Clark on the bridge. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Peeling into the Kent driveway, Lex saw a truck he didn't recognize at all. He headed towards the barn, knowing the loft was the first place to look for Clark.

Fury built up in Lex at what he saw when he made his way to the barn. Whitney was there, flanked by two other football jockeys. Whitney shoved Clark, who let himself fall to conceal his secret, into a pile of hay that exploded around him. "Well, farm boy. How did you do it?"

The two lower football players grabbed him by the arms, and Whitney was in his face, demanding. "A friend found me."

Whitney scoffed. "No one would come all the way out to Riley's Field to help you." Clark looked like he had been punched in the face.

The rage Lex was feeling intensified. He had seen enough. He strode purposefully into the barn. "I would, and I did. You know that, Clark. I warned you, Whitney. Clark Kent is off limits. You'll have to face the consequences of your actions."

Whitney was apprehensive, but he wasn't willing to show it. "What are you going to do about it?"

Lex whipped out his phone. "Call the cops. This is assault. Go inside, Clark."

Clark pulled himself out of the pile of hay and rushed inside at his fastest human speed to tell his Dad what was going on. Whitney and his friends were starting to panic. "You can't do this! Don't call the police!"

His voice was cold, and his eyes were blazing with controlled rage. "I can and I will. I'll be talking to the principal of your school as well. You three will be lucky if you get to stay on the football team this year."

"Nine one one, what is your emergency?"

With great effort, Lex put on a kinder voice to answer the dispatcher. "My friend was attacked by some teenagers from his school at his house. We're at the Kent farm." He flipped the phone shut and leveled the boys with a glare. "Now, you're all very lucky. I know Clark, and I highly doubt he'll press charges, but you'll be spending at least a night in jail."

Everyone turned to look when the door to the house swung open, revealing an infuriated Jonathan Kent, followed by a nervous-looking Clark with his mother looking at him with concern. Lex sent a tiny reassuring smile to his friend. Jonathan exploded at the boys who had come to harass his son. "What the hell do you think you're doing! Coming to my house, harassing my son! You boys can be sure I'll be having a long talk with all of your parents!" The three football players looked like they wanted nothing more than to be swallowed by the earth.

Police sirens could be heard, and a cruiser pulled into the Kent's driveway. The jocks looked even more like they wanted to die. The officer walked over to the group. "Which one of you called us?"

Lex stepped forward. "That would be me."

"Your call was very brief. What seems to have been the problem?"

"A few boys from Clark's school came by the barn to beat him up. I came and saw what was happening, and I called you."

The officer scanned the faces of the teens. "Which one of you is Clark?"

Clark stepped away from his mom. "I am."

"Would you like to tell me what happened, Mr. Kent?"

Clark glanced at the football players, then his parents, then Lex. He couldn't hide it when his best friend had seen. "Whitney told be to be here at six at school today. Him and his friends showed up, and they shoved me in a pile of hay. Then Lex showed up."

The officer looked at the boys. "Any particular reason you decided to assault Mr. Kent?"

They shuffled their feet. Whitney spoke in a quiet tone, knowing he had no choice but to answer, or he'd be in even more trouble. "He was talking to my girlfriend."

Shaking his head and pulling out his handcuffs, the policeman arrested the football jocks. When they were gone, the Kents, including Lex, headed into the house. Martha couldn't resist the urge to check her son over despite the fact that she knew he couldn't be hurt. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

Clark gave her a tiny reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Mom."

Jonathan looked worried. "Why didn't you tell us about this, Clark?"

The farm boy looked down, suddenly finding the dirt on his shoes extremely intriguing.

"Clark..." Jonathan said in a warning tone.

Sighing, Clark finally met his father's eyes. "I... I can fake being hurt when he just shoves me in a locker or something, but he said he'd beat me up if I told anyone, and I can't fake a black eye. Everyone would know that something's wrong with me."

Clark's mother hugged him. "Oh, baby, there's nothing wrong with you. You're just different, and you save a lot of lives because of it. Don't you ever say that again!"

"They won't lay a finger on you." Jonathon was, in a word, pissed. "They have no right to do this to you. The next time something like this happens, if there even is a next time, you tell me. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Clark's eyes were back on his boots. He was embarrassed.

When his parents were done worrying over him, Clark headed out to the loft, Lex on his heels. "So. This is what your dad needed help with, huh?"

Clark looked down. "Lex... I didn't know what else to do."

"You could have told me. I would have come with you. Helping people isn't exclusively Clark Kent, you know." Lex gave Clark a tiny half smile to let him know he was at least half joking.

"I couldn't, Lex. They would've come after me later." Clark kicked the dirt. All his powers, and the only person he couldn't defend was himself.

Lex put a hand on his younger friend's shoulder. "You know, it looked like they were going to beat you up pretty bad when I got there anyway. It wouldn't have made much of a difference. It was only going to get worse until you told someone, Clark."

Clark made a face at him. "I know that NOW."

The billionaire couldn't help but laugh at that. "Hindsight is twenty twenty."

"So, really Lex? The police?" Even as he tried to criticize his friends "harsh" decision, he couldn't help but grin.

It was brushed off with a shrug. "It was a crime, and they did it off school property. I have half a mind to tell those cops about the Scare Crow. We are talking to your principal, though."

The farm boy blanched. "Seriously, Lex? Do we have to?"

"I'm not backing down, Clark. We are going to get this taken care of once and for all. Just because he's a big football jock doesn't mean he should get away with everything."

Knowing the fight was already lost, Clark flopped down on his couch with resignation. "Tomorrow, I'm guessing?"

Lex grinned. "I'll see you after school."

Despite the fact that Whitney wouldn't be in again until the next day, Clark was nervous. The day seemed to be going agonizingly fast. He really wished he had managed to talk Lex out of talking to his principal, but he admitted to himself grudgingly that Lex probably had a point. So, at the end of the day, he met his friend outside the principal's office. "Hey Lex."

"Hey Clark." Lex gestured to the door of the principals office. "You ready?"

The teenager stared at the door with disdain. "No."

Lex laughed and led Clark in anyway. The principal stood. "Good afternoon. Have a seat, please." He gestured to the two chairs sitting in front of his desk. "I understand Clark has been having some trouble with some of our other students?"

"Yes. Whitney has been giving Clark problems lately, along with two other football players though I don't know their names." Lex nudged Clark.

Clark's eyes never left his boots. "Bob Winters and Derek Riley."

The principal's demeanor changed immediately. "I don't think this is very funny Mr. Kent, Mr. Luthor. Mr. Ford, Mr. Winters, and Mr. Riley are three of our best students, and I don't appreciate you wasting my time with slander."

Clark's head shot up. His embarrassment over this happening to him was quickly squelched by his indignation at no one believing him. "Are you kidding me? Half the people in this stupid school have seen it! Ask someone who wasn't laughing at me, they'll tell you!"

The principal fixed Clark with a harsh glare. "Don't take that tone with me, Mr. Kent. I'll have you out of this office and in detention so fast you won't realize what happened."

Lex glared back. "I assure you, this is no prank. Their good football skills do not necessarily guarantee good morals."

"I'm sorry Mr. Luthor, but this will have to wait until the students in question are able to come back to school and defend themselves." He decided to be more diplomatic, seeing as Lex wouldn't be as easy to brush off as one of his younger students.

Arching an eyebrow, Lex leaned back in his seat. "You mean when they're out of jail for assaulting Clark at his house last night?"

The principal's head shot up in time to see Clark's furious blush. The police being involved was a huge game changer. "I see... Continue, Mr. Kent. Though it is an issue, one isolated incident can not and will not be considered bullying. In addition, this occurred off school property, so it is not our responsibility to handle it. If you're concerned, we can try to keep Mr. Kent separate from Mr. Ford, Mr. Winters, and Mr. Riley, but we can't take any disciplinary action."

Clark nodded his understanding and went to leave, but Lex put a hand on his shoulder. Clark sat back down. "It wasn't an isolated incident, and the majority of this happened on school grounds. Isn't that right, Clark?"

Sighing, Clark nodded. "Mostly Whitney. He pushes me around a lot, and threatens me. He knocks my books out of my hand, or steals my pencils."

With a nod, the principle started writing it down. "It that it?"

Lex shook his head. "Are you aware of the tradition of the Scarecrow that takes place at your school?" Looking confused, the principle shook his head. "The quarterback chooses one of the freshmen, and a few of the football players kidnap him from school and tie him up in a corn field. Their most recent choice was Clark. Clark is the only reason I haven't reported this to the authorities as well. Kidnapping is a federal offence, and it took place at YOUR school, under YOUR nose, by your 'best students'." Lex's tone showed his disgust.

The principle was sweating it out now. This was very serious, and he couldn't avoid taking action. "This is very serious. We will begin investigating immediately, and we'll make sure to have a few teachers watching the boys. However, we can't do anything drastic without evidence."

Clark looked over at Lex imploringly. "Lex, they're not going to find anything. I told you they ended the tradition last year."

"Honestly, Clark," Lex smirked at his "younger brother", "do you really think I would find you in a position like that and NOT make sure someone could be prosecuted?"

The farm boy grinned half-heartedly. "A guy can hope."

Laughing, Lex handed the incriminating evidence over to the principal, who cursed internally. He didn't want the football team to lose some of its best players, but this had crossed the line that he felt comfortable with turning his back on. "I'll talk to these boys when they come back to school. This will not go by unpunished."

Pulling out his checkbook, Lex leveled the principal with a look, letting him know he meant business. "I understand under Kansas' new bully laws you're supposed to have training in place for students about bullying situations. I also understand you don't. I don't want my money to go to new gear for the football teams or new uniforms for the cheerleaders. It's about time you implemented a bullying program."

With that, Lex stood and Clark followed, leaving the principal with the thousand dollar check that didn't threaten, but promised retribution if Lex didn't see improvements.

Clark looked at Lex with disbelief as they started driving off. "Did that really just happen?"

Lex just laughed.

Whitney, Bob, and Derek came to homeroom and were immediately redirected to the principal's office. They looked at each other nervously. Did Kent rat them out here, too?

Their principal looked very upset with them when they came in. "Sit down." They did. "Boys will be boys, but you three have taken it too far this time. You were in jail for assaulting one of your classmates. We have evidence that you've been harassing him on a daily basis, and that you kidnapped him from school property and strung him up in a field like a scarecrow. We simply can not tolerate this type of behavior at this school, especially from some of our star football players. That's why in addition to detention for the next week and community service for the next month, you will be off the football team for the rest of the year."

Whitney panicked. That was his future. Football was his ticket to college, his ticket out of Smallville. "It was just a joke! Ten generations of football teams have done it, and I ended it!"

The principal leveled him with a look. The ex quarterback shut up. "And that was taken into consideration in the decision to allow you to try out for the team again next year. I hope you are thankful for this opportunity. With these charges, it would be reasonable for me to expel you from school and turn you boys over to the police. Am I understood?"

Each of the boys started studying their shoes, and a chorus of "Yes, sir"s could be heard.

"Good. Now out of my office." Just as Whitney was about to leave, the principal's voice stopped him. "Oh, and Mr. Ford, you are to write a formal letter of apology to Clark Kent and read it in front of him and the football team."

Clark and Lex were speeding down the road towards the Talon as Clark gave Lex an update on things at school. "We have a new program. We have a bully meeting every Wednesday and kids get in trouble for just standing and laughing now too." Clark smirked in a very non-Clark manner, but he couldn't deny a tiny bit of vindictive satisfaction. "Whitney had to write a letter of apology to me and read it in front of the football team." Clark's smirk fell. He actually felt a bit bad about this part. "He got kicked off the football team, which I actually feel kinda bad about..."

Lex shook his head. "You shouldn't. He made poor decisions, he paid for them. It's that simple."

The pair enjoyed a nice cup of coffee and Lex tried to convince Clark to make a move on Lana. "She's still dating Whitney."

It took the better part of Lex's determination not to bang his head against the table. "Fine. Don't make a move on the girl you've always liked because the kid who used to harass you on a daily basis is dating her." After slight thought, Lex changed his mind. "Actually, really don't make a move on her. Seriously. If she can't see that he's a jerk after everything he did to you, her friend, was revealed, she is not the girl for you, Clark."

"She's forgiving, and that's one of the things I like about her," Clark replied stubbornly. "Besides, she's a nice girl. He mess up with her eventually and they'll break up, but I'm not messing with her reputation by going behind her boyfriend's back with her."

That was where their customary argument ended. Lex honestly didn't mind that Clark wanted to do this the right way. One of the things he admired about his younger friend was his moral standard.

As the pair exited the Talon, they saw Whitney picking up garbage on the side of the street as a part of his community service. Clark got in the Lexus, and Lex was pretty sure he wasn't watching. Making eye contact with Whitney, he dropped his empty coffee cup on the sidewalk.

Lex's door made a slight bang when he pulled it closed behind him. "You know I saw that, right?"

The billionaire glanced over at his young friend and decided to feign innocence. "Saw what?"

Clark just shook his head. "You know, you would've made a pretty good big brother, Lex."

Both of them knew what it really meant.


End file.
